In Your Memories
by Dragondash
Summary: A story about how old memories can sometimes be the savior of a dying relationship.
1. Chapter 1

**In your memories**

"_It's been seven years since I used to travel to different regions in order to collect gym badges and compete in the leagues. I have to say I won my share of battles and learned quite a lot. But… I kept on going back to where I began. Maybe it's because when I started to think of myself as the best, something had to pull me down to earth. And then again, maybe it's because there was something… or someone always distracting me, reminding me about…_"

"Ash! They're here," called out Delia Ketchum, Ash's mom from downstairs.

Ash jumped up from the sudden voice and closed the journal. He tried to save his thoughts for later as he replied back in the same high pitch. He combed his hair a few times before putting on a light blue shirt to go with the deep blue jeans. He lost the cap, the jacket and of course, the ridiculous spiky hair that reflected his overconfident personality back when he was a young teenager. He'd gotten taller and a lot matured. His soft chocolate brown eyes became a lot sharper and more intense. He was the guy next door who was quite popular with the girls of Pallet.

"Hey man, what's up?" called out a familiar voice from the doorstep of Ash's room.

"Huh? Oh… oh hey Brock thanks for coming… and you too Gary I really needed a ride," said Ash in a low voice, his mind still on other matters.

"No problem buddy. Heard you messed up yours pretty badly," replied Gary as he walked into the room. Both Brock and Gary were the only two people with whom Ash still hung out. They had grown too over the years. Gary was 19, the same age as Ash and Brock was a bit older being 21. They didn't just change their appearances but they were almost two different people. Brock had the same thing for girls, but he didn't drool over them anymore. He turned into a lady's man going to parties now and then and finding himself a date with any girl who would've probably rejected him in a second seven years ago. He had longer hair that almost reached his shoulders. It was Brock who still kept some of the old Ash alive. As for Gary, Ash's once rival became one of his closest and most trustworthy friends. He had the same spiky brown hair but his arrogant personality was replaced by intellect and sophistication. He was the most reliable among the three and the one Ash could always count on when he needed help the most.

"Hmm… yeah. I kinda got carried away and… hit a tree," confessed Ash before adding, "But Justin says he can fix it though".

"Okay… hey since when do you keep a diary? I thought writing wasn't your thing," asked Gary as he walked towards the small book that lay on Ash's bed.

"Well yeah I thought it'd be a good idea to just… you know… clear my head," replied Ash as he kept on fidgeting with the buttons on his shirt.

"So you guys ready to hit the road? We're already running behind schedule," said Brock as he nervously glanced at his watch.

"Yup, all done," replied Ash as he took his jacket from the hanger and followed his companions down the stairs. Downstairs, on the couch, sat his little yellow friend while licking ketchup from a bottle.

"Hey Pikachu, I have to be somewhere with the guys. I'll be back soon," said Ash in a hurry. Pikachu replied in the affirmative not paying too much attention. Saying goodbye to Delia, they rushed out of the house.

"Wow… Gary, when did you get that?" asked Ash seeing Gary jump into the driver's seat of a shiny BMW convertible in the parking lot of the Ketchum residence.

"You like it? I got it as a gift from grandpa for helping with his research," replied Gary with a proud grin on his face. The three of them got inside as Gary started the engine.

"So Ash… I heard you talked to Gary about a job or something," said Brock curiously trying to get rid of the silence that was forming inside the car.

"Yeah… yeah I just thought it'd be a good idea to get out of the house and do something for a change," said Ash sounding like it wasn't a big deal. "So Gary… what did they say?"

"They said they could use someone with the experience. I mean after all… you've been to more gyms than even I did," said Gary praising Ash's previous achievements.

"So I'm in then?" asked Ash trying to hide the dint of excitement in his voice.

"_Yes_ you're in. You're just going to have to sign some papers and you'll officially be one of the kanto league organizers," replied Gary in the most professional way he could manage.

"Wait Gary, you work there?" asked Brock surprised from their conversation.

"Hmm… not exactly. I just lend a helping hand when they really need it," replied Gary his expression unreadable.

"Cool… that's the place that gives trainers permissions to have their own gyms. It's really something," said Brock impressed at the two.

"Man it sure is taking a long time to get to viridian. I used to walk there in less time than it's taking to drive," said Ash changing the subject.

"Ha ha, that was a long time ago Ash. Didn't you notice how much the little town changed over the years? It's like a metropolis compared to many other towns I've been to. And besides, I'm driving at eighty miles per hour. That's like the speed limit," chuckled Gary.

"Yeah no kidding. It's kind of like a big city now… even bigger than Celadon, Cerulean, Vermillion…" trailed off Brock but was cut off by Ash.

"Cerulean? Hey isn't that where Misty used to live?" asked Ash as he stared out of the window.

"She kinda still does. But I heard she's having some trouble with the gym," replied Gary with a bit of disappointment.

"Maybe we should give her a visit sometimes. It's been way too long. I never even contacted her that much," said Ash a feeling a bit guilty.

"Hey maybe if you get a job you can buy her that _bike,"_ said Brock ironically. Gary knew what he meant and laughed out loud along with Brock himself.

"Yeah you got that right Brock. You really need to pay her back for the bike. She traveled for so long with you just for _that_," giggled Gary with sarcasm in his voice as well.

"Shut up guys… end of subject. Gary, drive," said Ash blushing a bit and knowing where the conversation would be headed if he didn't stop it.

…………………………………………..

"So this it. Come 'on let's get this over with. I promised I'd help grandpa later today," said Gary as the trio got down from the car and walked towards the building with Gary leading the way. The place was at the center of Viridian. Ash followed his friend in silence wondering why he thought this would be a good idea. Finally Gary stopped as a couple of guys came out from a closet or something. They were both in their late twenties wearing uniforms with the monogram of the institute imprinted on them. The tall one had decent sized dark raven hair. He looked the gentler among the two. The other person looked a lot more enthusiastic. He almost came running towards the group as the other one quietly followed.

"Hey guys. How've ya been? This is…" trailed off Gary but was cut off by the shorter one.

"Say no more… I know everything. You've brought Ash here didn't you? Excellent job Gary," he said as he approached Ash and Brock with a huge grin on his face.

"Hello Ash, it's a pleasure to meet you. I am Steven, Steven Carter. You can just call me Steve. I'm the manager of the organization…" said the guy but was stopped when the other one coughed, glaring at him.

"Uhh… right. Actually I'm _one_ of the main organizers here. That is my brother over there," he said startled by the awkwardness.

"I'm Kevin. Great to see you Ash. So you ready to get down to business?" said the taller guy as he stretched out his hand towards Ash.

"Hi guys. It's nice to meet you too. And yeah, the sooner the better I guess," said Ash as he shook Kevin's hand.

"Excellent, just what I was hoping. Right these way gentlemen," said Steven as he leaded the trio along with his brother through the corridor of the building.

"Now Ash, you see our job as the managers of this institute is to make sure that trainers face the most promising and intellectual mentors who can help them step forward in the way to becoming a master. These _mentors_ are known as gym leaders. Like Brock here for example. Every gym has to pass some tests here in order for them to be noted as official league gyms. And even after the tests every gym has to maintain…" Steven kept on giving out his speech in a fast and professional mood which Ash was having a hard time keeping up with.

"So did you get all that? Simple isn't it?" asked Steve as he finally stopped in front of a room to face the others.

"Uhh… yeah, yeah it's no big deal I guess. I-I can handle it," said Ash nervously having no idea what _it _was.

"Why don't you start from tomorrow morning? I think you need some time to... get everything settled up for your job?" said Kevin realizing what Ash was thinking.

"Yeah I think you maybe right. Thanks guys for all the explanation and everything. I'm really looking forward to tomorrow," said Ash as he shaked their hands with a friendly smile.

"It's a pleasure ash, see you tomorrow then. This is going to be sooo exciting," said Steve as he grinned hugely.

Ash, along with Brock and Gary waved a goodbye to the brothers as they started for the door.

"So I think we should take a look at Cerulean. Things aren't really going well there," said Kevin to his brother in a voice just loud enough for Ash to overhear.

"Cerulean? Cerulean City? That's where Misty's gym is," said Ash as he turned around to the two brothers' surprise.

"Oh you know her?" asked Steve as he frowned.

"Well err… I used to. She's an old friend," said Ash as he gave them a look of confusion.

"Hmm… well Ash, I think it's best if you go get some rest now. We'll have a lot to talk about tomorrow," said Kevin as he intended for Ash to leave.

"A lot to talk about indeed…" said Ash to himself as the BMW raced through the roads of Viridian.

**Author's note:** New story. I know I'm still not done with my last one but I just had a great idea so I thought I'd give this a go. Thank you for reading. Hope you liked it. I'll update soon. Oh and most importantly… reviews please!


	2. From Cerulean

**In your memories**

Chapter 2: From Cerulean

"Excuse me, can you please tell me where the gym is?" asked a boy of about ten years old to a nurse in the pokémon center.

"Oh I'm sorry but it's currently closed. They're having some difficulties maintaining it. Maybe you should visit vermilion," replied nurse joy from over the desk.

"Oh okay then. Thanks anyway," said the boy as he turned around to leave.

"Nurse joy, are my pokémon checked up?" asked a redhead teenage girl as she rushed into the center.

"Yup… here you are. They're in tip top shape," said nurse joy as she handed over some pokéballs.

"Thanks a lot nurse joy. See you," she replied as she sped off on her way.

"Umm… I was just wondering… do you know who the gym leader is?" asked the boy as he was leaving.

"Why that was her. Misty is the leader of the Cerulean gym," replied Nurse joy much to the surprise of the young trainer.

Misty Waterflower was hurrying home with her pokémon. It's been seven years since she stopped traveling with her three best friends and settled down in her hometown Cerulean. From a young teenager Misty grew into a beautiful young woman with crimson hair and aqua blue eyes. Though she was known as the _not so sensational_ sister of the family in her early days, she now was one of the most attractive girls in the city. Finally she managed to rise above her sisters in both beauty and pokémon training. But her gym wasn't in the best shape, as it had to be closed for some reason while she was out to a different region on an errand.

"I'm home," she shouted as she made her way through the door to see her sisters.

"Hey Misty, I'll be a minute. I'm sorry what was that?" said Daisy as she moved the phone away from her ear for a moment.

Misty put her backpack on the floor as she made her way down the gym's hall to her room. She had a long tiring day and a shower was the perfect thing to fix her up. Misty went into the bathroom hoping to relieve some of the tension that the gym and her sisters were going through. She recalled the latest happenings- her sisters failing to run the gym while she was away, the gym's reputation ruined and eventually having to close it down. Misty sighed as she turned off the shower. Putting on an aqua blue top along with a pair of jeans, she was on her way to see her sisters.

"Hey Daisy, where's Lily and Violet?" Misty asked noticing that the other two were missing.

"Like, they went to Viridian. They just called and said they need to see us," said Daisy. "Like now!"

"So weren't you supposed to go with them?" asked Misty as she sat down on the couch next to her sister.

"Yeah I know what a bummer. I thought they could like, maybe take care of it but now they just called telling me I need to be there in like thirty minutes," she said with annoyance in her voice.

"You mean you have to leave now?" asked Misty with disappointment in her voice. "But I just got home," she added.

"Like chill out sis I'll be right back. They said it's about the gym. I'm sorry you'll have to be by yourself while I'm gone. Unless of course you'd like to tag along," said Daisy, as she got ready to leave for Viridian.

"Well… I guess so. It's been a while since I've been there," replied Misty as she sighed.

"Great let's go then. We don't want to be late," said Daisy as Misty followed her out through the door.

Daisy drove her car through the streets of Viridian while Misty sat besides her wondering what could go so wrong as for them to have to close the gym. Misty remained silent throughout the journey like she had been doing for the past few weeks. Daisy couldn't help but notice the recent change in Misty. She always kept to herself. It could be because of all the three sisters having to be busy all the time with the gym as well as their own personal lives. Misty didn't have too many friends in Cerulean and the only ones she ever had were the two guys with whom she traveled all those years ago. Daisy couldn't remember what their names were but she could remember her little sister's interest in one of them. After all these years only Misty was left single as the three other sisters each found success in their own love lives. But right now Daisy had more things to worry about. They had reached Viridian and Daisy parked the car right by the entrance of the office.

"So here we are Misty. Misty? Hello… like earth to Misty," said Daisy confused as Misty finally replied.

"Oh hey sorry. I just… never mind. So we're here?" asked Misty a bit embarrassed.

"Yeah like I guess I'll have to go now sis. Maybe you should come too I mean you are the gym leader after all," said Daisy as they got off the car.

"Sure, why not. Let's get this over with," stated misty and the two sisters walked through the entrance of the building.

Meanwhile…

"Where is he? I thought you told him to be here by ten. And now it's almost twelve," said Kevin annoyed at his brother and colleague.

"Like yeah we've been waiting for hours. Why does it have to be a big deal? Why can't you guys like just get this over with," whined Violet as she along with her sister Lily.

"He was supposed to be here by now. I don't understand what on earth is keeping him," replied Steve as he paced back and forth the hallway.

"Well maybe you should like call him?" said Lily sarcastically as she rolled her eyes. "You can do that right?"

Steve looked slightly embarrassed. He thought about saying something back but considered the idea of calling to be a better choice.

"Ah well of course. Now why didn't I think of that?" said Steve as he quickly took out his cell phone and started dialing Ash's number before the sisters could fire another insult at him.

As Steve lifted the phone to his ear awaiting Ash's excuse, after a few seconds everyone heard a faint melody coming from the hallway. Accompanying it were quick and rapid paces. Obviously it was Ash, who soon appeared before four pair of surprised as well as annoyed eyes.

"Sorry I'm late. Gary-couldn't-give-me-a-lift-so-I-had-to-wait-for-my-car-to-be-fixed-and-it-took-long-enough-but-then-it-broke-down-again-on-the-way-here-and-I-had-to-wait-for-a-lift-after-calling-the-repair guy-and… I'M SORRY!!!" blurted out Ash before anyone even knew what just happened. Even his phone was still ringing.

"Okay that clears everything up. Just what the boss wants to hear," said Steve in an annoyed tone as he cancelled the call.

"So we're cool then?" asked Ash who was still panting and trying to catch his breath.

"For now… just don't do it again. It's quite frustrating. For us as well as our guests here," replied Kevin as he stepped forward, the annoyance clear in his expression.

"Great… so where do we get started then," said Ash looking relieved as he approached the two brothers.

"Very well then. Ash they are the former leaders of the Cerulean gym and…" Steve began to introduce him but was cut off by the sisters themselves.

"Former? What do you mean former? And you made us wait for this guy? He's like the same age as our little sister," said Violet looking a bit pissed off.

Usually Ash would have a comeback ready straight away. But being late in the first place as well as meeting Misty's sisters who obviously didn't recognize him made him hold it back.

"I'm Ash, Ash Ketchum remember? Misty's friend. You guys seriously don't remember me?" said Ash with a grin as he looked at them.

"Ash Ketchum? Oh… oh my god! You're the kid Misty traveled with. Whoa look at you, you're all grown up!" said Violet as she sprang up and grabbed Ash by the shoulders.

"Yeah like what's up with you? We haven't heard from you in ages. You have a job now, here! Who would've guessed?" Lily added, as she also looked surprised.

"It's great to see you too. I just joined here that's all. First Day," said Ash who was still a bit dazed from the awkward moment. "So uhh… I guess we have some business to take care of."

"Oh finally!" sighed Kevin looking irritated by the delay. "Now, Ash as you are known to be one of the finest trainers around, we believe that you would be perfect for this task…" he went on as Ash took a seat beside Lily and Violet.

"…And so we expect you to do just fine for a first assignment," Kevin finished his speech as he looked at Ash waiting to hear his response.

"Oh… yeah sure umm nothing I can't handle, pretty easy. So basically you just want me to check out their skills as gym leaders and find out if they're good enough to remain as gym leaders?" Ash said, as he looked somewhat uneasy.

"Yes, very good Ash! See I told you he could do it," Steve told Ash before glancing at his brother who just ignored him.

"Well, ladies I think Ash can take it from here. Now if you'd excuse us we have to get to work ourselves," said Kevin as he departed the room followed by Steve.

"So umm… how've you guys been doing?" said Ash trying not reveal his true intention.

"Oh we've been totally doing fine. You know… me, Lily and Daisy. Aside from the gym, everything's totally a-okay," replied Violet easily seeing through Ash's act.

"How's Misty?" he finally blurted out a little impatiently.

"Oh, Misty like how could we forget. She's fine. You still think of her? That's like so _sweet_," replied Lily teasingly.

"Well I think of you too. It's just that I haven't seen her in a while and… you know," replied Ash.

"_Really?_" said Violet with a huge grin on her face.

"Okay now you guys are starting to freak me out. Forget about it. I-

I'll come by tomorrow. You guys get ready and everything and we'll solve this thing," said Ash willing to end the conversation.

"Okay I guess," said a disappointed Lily. "Like I wish Misty was here. She totally would like to see you."

"I wish I could see her too," said ash as the three of them made it to the door. But just as he was about to open it someone pushed it open sending Ash flying.

"_Wish granted_," he said to himself ironically as he saw Lily and Violet now with two more girls. One of them was indeed _her._

**Author's note: **UPDATE!!! Whoa it's been soooo long since I posted the last chapter. I know some of you people wanted me to be quick about it but I had biology exams and you know what they can do to ya. So I'm really sorry about the delay but it's spring break now and hopefully I'll keep my promise this time. Please R&R. Love you all!!!

P.S I know the title's pretty stupid but couldn't make up anything better.


	3. The unexpected surprise

_**In your memories**_

**Chapter 3: Job not-so-well done**

"I can't believe Lily and Violet called just cuz there's a new mall here in Viridian," said Misty as she walked beside Ash.

"Hmm… I guess they really like shopping," said Ash trying to create a conversation.

"And Daisy's happy about it too," she added frowning. "But at least I didn't have to go with them."

"Why didn't you?" asked Ash curiously.

"Well umm I really don't like all that stuff. And seeing you're here. I'd rather be here," said Misty suddenly realizing how that sounded. "I mean I haven't seen you in a long time Ash. And I…" she trailed off just before Ash replied.

"I missed you too Mist," he replied as he looked at her with a smile across his face.

_Mist- _the nickname Ash first called her by. The moment she heard him say that she blushed but quickly turned away from him so he wouldn't notice. When Misty came to Viridian with her sister Daisy, meeting Ash was probably something she never would have expected. Her sisters had set off for a mall that opened in the city recently leaving her with Ash. It was a very pleasant surprise for her and the same could be said for Ash. He on the other hand, was expecting to see his old friend since he met her sisters a while ago. Of course he was equally pleased to see her as well. They hadn't met in a long time and everything was much different than before. Ash noticed how Misty had changed over the last seven years. She let her hair grow down and her eyes were a brighter, more oceanic shade of blue. But she was much quieter. She didn't seem like the girl who used to yell at him or beat him up with a huge mallet. She was even more attractive than any of her sisters. Thoughts were racing through Misty's mind too. This was the first time she had to look up to meet Ash's eyes. He grew much taller than her and seemed so much more like a gentleman. What surprised her even more was that he was hardly speaking at all. She remembered about Ash's big appetite and giggled to herself. For quite a long while there was only silence between the two. But finally Ash spoke up-

"So… you wanna go get something to eat?" asked Ash who looked really hesitant about it.

"Umm… sure," Misty simply replied. She wondered if the old Ash was still there since the only question he'd asked her was regarding food. "Where do you want to go?"

"Well… you know the mall your sisters were talking about? They have a great place there," said Ash who looked a bit more comfortable now. "You wanna give it a try?

Misty really didn't want to run into her sisters again. She knew they'd make something out of her and Ash the moment they would see them. But then again she didn't want to disappoint Ash. She sighed, "Okay… sure. Let's go."

Meanwhile…

"Like make up your mind sis. Just pick one already," said Violet as Daisy kept going from one store to another.

"Like chill out. This is like the first time we've been in Viridian after a long time. Relax," replied Daisy who kept on looking for something regardless of her sister's protest. "So tell me honestly, the pink one or the blue?"

"Uhh… pink," Lily replied not paying any attention.

"Oh, good. I'll take it then," said Daisy as she went to the counter to pay for it.

As her sister's were shopping Misty was sitting opposite to Ash in a quiet restaurant at the corner of the mall. Ash was waiting for the food while Misty was too busy keeping an eye out for her sisters. She looked like she wasn't enjoying herself that much, unlike Ash.

"Misty? You okay?" said Ash breaking Misty out of her trance.

"Hmm? Oh yeah. Yeah of course I am," replied Misty realizing his eyes were on her the whole time. "What's taking them so long?" she mumbled nervously.

"Your sisters?" asked Ash confused.

"NO! Not them I meant the food!" Misty replied almost jumping out of her chair.

"Oh, okay then," Ash said looking unconvinced. "Are you sure you're alright Misty? You seem a bit tensed."

"I'm OKAY!" said Misty but quickly realizing she said it a bit too loud as everyone was staring at the two. "I'm sorry Ash. It's really nothing, don't worry."

Ash didn't reply. The waiter came with the food just then and they finished quietly. Misty was comfortable about her sisters not being anywhere in sight but the silence between them made her uncomfortable. She looked at Ash who had an unreadable expression on his face. He was looking down at his food while eating. His eyes held a look of boredom while his lips where curled up into a grin. _"Well, I guess he likes the food," _Misty thought as Ash finished his food.

"That was good. I should come here more often," said Ash who looked at Misty for a response.

"Oh yeah. It's great. Should we go now then?" asked Misty who was almost done as well.

Ash replied with a nod as he paid the bill. Misty looked a lot calmer now. Ash smiled at her wondering about how to ask her about the gym. He decided to speak up but was interrupted by someone.

"Oh hey Misty like what are you guys doing here? Do you wanna get something too sis?" Daisy asked followed by her two sisters Lily and Violet.

"No, me and Ash were just looking around that's all," replied Misty while meeting Ash's confused look and giving him an _"I'll explain later" _look. "So if you guys are done with your shopping then… maybe we should get going?"

"Yeah I guess so. I mean Ash still has to like do his job and all," replied Lily who looked pretty tired.

"Oh that's it! That's what's missing," said Misty to herself as they made their way out of the mall. "Ash, what happened to Pikachu? You two were always together."

"Oh that! Pikachu's fine. The professor needs an electric pokémon for something and Pikachu's the best one around so… he's back in Pallet," replied Ash as he shrugged.

"So uh, Ash why don't you like come with us? You don't have to wait for tomorrow then," said Violet.

"Hmm? Oh I don't know I don't have Pikachu with me and… you guys probably need a rest," he replied.

"Wait are you saying you'll have to fight us?" asked Misty confused.

"Yeah I was waiting to tell you that. And… hey you know what? I don't need Pikachu I can do this with just the two pokémon I have with me. No problem," Ash said looking quite confident.

"No problem? Is that so Ash? If you think this'll be easy then think again," Misty replied losing her temper.

"Whatever you say Mist," said Ash as he giggled. They got on Daisy's car and after a couple hours of reckless driving, reached Cerulean. All three of the sisters were whining about how tired they were and how they didn't feel like battling. So that left Misty. Misty on the other hand enjoyed thinking of battling with Ash again. But Ash had something to say about it.

"You know… I was just wondering, how come they're questioning your abilities? I mean sure you're not the best out there but still, I think you still deserve to run the gym," he said as sat down close to the gym pool.

"Well… lately it hasn't been going that well. I need to do some serious training but… I'm pretty sure I can beat you," said Misty teasingly trying to piss Ash off.

"Mist, for your information I'm already a pokémon master. You shouldn't be so overconfident," said Ash calmly much to Misty's surprise.

"_Over_confident? Me? Look who's talking. Come on let's do this Ash. I need to get a shower," said Misty as she pulled out a pokéball from her backpack.

"Okay then," sighed Ash as he threw his own pokéball out in the air.

An hour later…

"Torkoal, return," Ash commanded as a ray of red light brought back his pokémon.

"Hey what did you do that for? We're not finished yet," protested Misty.

"Nope, we are. You see Misty, I'm only supposed to see how good you are. So technically it doesn't have to be a fight to the end. That was enough," replied Ash grinning.

"Wait so what happened then? How did I do Mr. Pokémon master?" said Misty jokingly.

"Well… uhh I don't know for sure. You were definitely right when you said you needed training," said Ash only to flinch at Misty's glare. "But I'd say you're off the hook. You should try not just to rely on the pool cuz you don't always get a pool to battle on when fighting outside and all. But still good enough."

"Really?" Misty asked as her eyes brightened up.

"Uhh yeah," Ash replied looking down. "Hey umm… I should be on my way. Mom's waiting and I need to check on my car so…" he trailed off nervously.

"Oh… already? I guess I didn't realize how time flew by," said Misty whose voice went back to the quiet whisper.

"Yeah, I'll see you later," said Ash suddenly realizing that Misty was upset. "Are you okay Mist?" he asked for the third time that day as they he followed her to the doorway.

"Yeah umm… thanks for the lunch. It was really good," she replied looking away from him.

Suddenly, something crossed Ash's mind. He knew it might be a stupid idea but something made him lean in close to her, as he softly planted a kiss on her cheek.

"I'm glad to hear that. I thought so too," he said calmly leaving a stunned Misty on the doorstep.

**Author's note: **Yay! I kept my promise! For the first time ever. This chapter was really big compared to the last ones. But it's really tough to have the whole getting back together and battling in the same chapter. And I didn't want to do two chapters for this as I want to finish this story in the next two or three chapters. So what do you think people?

Liked it? Hated it? Whatever it is please review. I love whatever you guys say.


	4. Take my advice

**In your memories**

Chapter 4: Take my advice

"_I really thought that this job would help me keep my mind off things. Well… I guess it was really just one thing that kept my mind busy. But what happened today was… an unexpected surprise? Huh that would be an understatement. Of course unexpected doesn't mean unwanted. I still can't believe this. She still remembers me. I mean seven years is a long time. I've always felt better when Misty was around… back when we traveled together. But this time it was different. It felt so good to see her again… maybe too good. Maybe I should talk to her… and tell her I-"_

"Pika?" Pikachu called out waking up. Ash suddenly realized he was thinking out loud. "Oh hey buddy. I was just you know…gathering my thoughts," Ash said quickly closing the journal. "Sorry for waking you. I think I should call it a day. It's pretty late," he added glancing up at the clock that said it was three in the morning. "Pika pi?" Pikachu asked before Ash could turn the lights off. "Why does everyone keep asking that? No, it's not Misty all right? Now good night," said Ash wishing he never mentioned about meeting her. "For once I'd like to finish writing without being interrupted," Ash thought as his eyelids closed. The next morning… "Ash, you look terrible. Didn't you sleep at all last night?" Delia asked shocked at her son's appearance. "Hmm? Oh no… I'm fine. I tried but couldn't sleep," said Ash who was gulping down his breakfast at record time. "Hey mom, I need to go to Brock's place as soon as possible. It's important. So… is it okay with you if I leave after breakfast?" "If you must honey," his mom replied as she brought another plate of pancakes. "Thanks mom. I'm done," said Ash as he sprang up from his chair and almost ran up the stairs to his room to get ready. In about ten minutes or so he was ready to hit the road. Ash looked pretty much like the old hyperactive enthusiast. He quickly took the keys to his car before opening the door. "Bye mom. I won't be long. Oh and Pikachu's still asleep. He should be awake in an hour or two," Ash said turning around. "Bye dear. Good luck with her," his mom said winking at her son. Ash just rolled his eyes and pretended not to hear. He went to his car and after some reckless driving was standing in front of Brock's house. "Hey Ash! What brings you here?" asked a familiar voice but not the one Ash was expecting. "Gary? What brings you here?" Ash asked back a not expecting to see him.

"Brock needs help with his training. I thought I'd give him some advice. I _am _the best after all," said Gary grinning.

"What? No way… I'm _so_ the best out there. I kicked your…" said Ash only to stop when he saw Gary trying not to laugh. "Whatever, I'm glad you're here. I need some advice myself. Come on."

……………..

"So that's kind of what happened. I can't get it out of my head. Her face, her voice everything it just keeps coming back to me," Ash said trying to explain things to Brock and Gary.

"Oh… hey no prob my man. You've come to the right place. So you want to know how you can ask her out and confess your undying love-" Brock was cut off by Ash.

"Whoa. Wait a sec I didn't say nothing about that. I just said things are a bit complicated and-" this time Ash got cut off by Brock.

"Look dude, who's the expert here? That's right, me. And I say that you love her, whether you like it or not," Brock said as he folded his arms. "So take my advice… call her, tell her that you need to talk to her and then leave it all to Brock."

"Why do I feel like that is a _really _bad idea?" Ash said nervously.

"Oh this'll be fun," Gary muttered just loud enough for Ash to hear, which made him even more scared of the plan.

"Trust me my man. I'll make sure you'll remember this night for the rest of your life," Brock smirked as his teeth sparkled.

"_Why do I feel like this is a really really bad idea?"_ Ash thought to himself as Brock explained to his ingenious plan to him.

Meanwhile…

"_Dear diary,_

_I_ _can't believe yesterday was for real. After so many years, I never thought I'd ever see him again. He's changed so much I could barely recognize him. I haven't had that much fun in years though I wish I hadn't freaked him out at the restaurant. It's all Daisy, Lily and Violet's fault. I'm glad they weren't there when we said goodbye… whoa that wasn't a dream. This is all way too much to process. I need to get a reality check on things,"_

Misty wrote down swiftly while she listened to the radio. She turned up the volume so no one could bother her. When she finally finished, she set aside her Diary and picked up her cell phone from the table. But she was shocked to find the number on the missed calls list.It was Ash's number, the same one he had given to her the day before.

"_Oh great, the volume was so high I couldn't even hear my cell phone ringing. Good one, Misty you missed six of his calls. Mission successful,"_ Misty muttered to herself as she stared at the number on the screen. _"Hey wait he left a message," _she said to herself as she checked it.It was a text from Ash. It read-

"Hey Mist, I was thinking how we lost track of each others lives in the last seven years. So… just wondering if you'd like to hang out and talk maybe. Just like the old days… if you like the idea give me a call"

Misty stared at the screen for who knows how long until she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She put her phone down and laid on the bed flat on her back. She didn't know if she was excited, surprised, suspicious or nervous. She didn't know what to feel. She thought about it for a while and went to her sister Lily's room, as the other two had to go somewhere.

"Misty? Hey sis, like is there something wrong?" Lily asked as opened the door.

"Yeah umm… it's Ash. He says he wants to hang out so that we can catch up on each others lives," replied Misty.

"Oh he asked you on a date. You want advice, that's it?" Lily said rolling her eyes.

"What? No… I mean it's not a date and I just came to ask what I should say to him," Misty replied a bit agitated but at the same time relieved at the fact that Lily wasn't teasing her.

"So… you don't know if you should go or not?" Lily asked sounding confused.

"No! Of course I'll go! I just want to know how I can… you know… interest him," Misty said blushing.

"Oh so it is a date now. Listen sis, I'll cut this short… he likes you, you like him. Take my advice- just go have fun and kiss him in the end. Easy as that," Lily replied as Misty's face became even redder. She was just about to protest but realized that Lily was the best person she could talk to about this. And also because she was pretty much right.

"Okay fine. That's _easy_! Anything else?" Misty said sarcastically as she folded her arms in front of her chest. Lily grinned as Misty wished she hadn't said that.

Ash arrived when the sun started to set. It was twilight in Cerulean and though Ash was always late this time he was a bit early since they it was supposed to be in the evening. Misty wasn't waiting either, she got dressed in deep blue skinny jeans and I pink top. She tied her hair into a ponytail. Ash was wearing the same clothes he wore the last time she saw him. He smiled at Misty as she got into the car. She was relieved that daisy and Violet hadn't arrived or she would have a lot of explaining to do.

"Thanks for coming," Ash said breaking the silence, his eyes on the road.

"You're welcome. It was nice of you to ask," Misty said as she looked over to him. His eyes were glittering with a sort of excitement or was it anxiety? Before she could make her mind up he spoke again.

"Listen umm… I've been thinking ever since last time and I realized that it was all a huge mistake splitting up and everything. I know I never called or anything but… I was confused, I didn't know," Ash said in a low voice.

"Didn't know? What do you mean?" Misty asked who found herself suddenly interested in the conversation.

"You know… we were always fighting and I didn't want to fight anymore. I didn't know whether or not I should be with you, cuz sometimes I thought I'd be better off without you,"

"So what do you think? Are you better off by yourself?" Misty frowned at Ash's statement.

Ash stopped his car near a park. The sun was almost down and the rays of the sun complemented his dark brown eyes as he turned towards Misty with a smirk.

"That's what I need to find out," Ash said as he looked her in the eye.

**Author's note: **That sucked, I know. Big chapter compared to its importance. I thought about including the next part in this chapter but then it would get way too big. So… change of plans. I'm going to have at last six chapters for the story. I promise things will be much more interesting in the next chapters. Oh and please review if it's not too much trouble. It helps me get motivation for my writing. Lots of love to you all. Thanks for reading! XD


End file.
